The Dweebletter

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Thursday, May 04, 2006

BIG Star Wars News this week!

EDITOR'S NOTE: FIRST UP, SOMETHING REALLY SILLY. BUT SILLY IS WHAT WE DO BEST, RIGHT?May The 4th Be With You!Hey everyone, check out your calendar, today is May 4th!

Be sure to spread the good word of Star Wars today!

May the 4th be with you!

EDITOR'S NOTE: UMMM...GET IT? HUH HUH HUH? (SNORT).

This September: Original Unaltered Trilogy on DVDFans can look forward to a September filled with classic Star Wars nostalgia, led by the premiere of LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy video game and the long-awaited DVD release of the original theatrical incarnations of the classic Star Wars trilogy.

In response to overwhelming demand, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment will release attractively priced individual two-disc releases of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Each release includes the 2004 digitally remastered version of the movie and, as bonus material, the theatrical edition of the film. That means you'll be able to enjoy Star Wars as it first appeared in 1977, Empire in 1980, and Jedi in 1983. EDITOR'S NOTE: I AM TEMPTED TO MAKE SNARKY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS....UNCLE G GOING BACK TO MY WALLET/WELL TOO OFTEN, ETC....BUT LET'S FACE IT.....IF THEY SELL IT, WE WILL BUY. RIGHT? AND BY 'WE', I MEAN ME. AND PROBABLY YOU, TOO? AND YES, IT IS SILLY, BUT DON'T THEY USUALLY MAKE IT WORTH OUR WHILE? PUT LITTLE EXTRAS OR SUCH ON THERE?OF COURSE, HOW SOON BEFORE WE GET TO BUY IT ALL OVER AGAIN IN HD-DVD? OR 3D? OR MAYBE THEY CAN JUST BEAM IT DIRECTLY INTO OUR BRAINS IN YET ANOTHER NEW VERSION? (AH....TO DREAM.....)

This release will only be available for a limited time: from September 12th to December 31st. International release will follow on or about the same day. Each original theatrical version will feature Dolby 2.0 Surround sound, close-captioning, and subtitles in English, French and Spanish for their U.S. release. International sound and subtitling vary by territory.

"Over the years, a truly countless number of fans have told us that they would love to see and own the original version that they remember experiencing in theaters," said Jim Ward, President of LucasArts and Senior Vice President of Lucasfilm Ltd. "We returned to the Lucasfilm Archives to search exhaustively for source material that could be presented on DVD. This is something that we're very excited to be able to give to fans in response to their continuing enthusiasm for Star Wars. Topping it off with a new interactive adventure makes September 12 a red-letter day for Star Wars fans."

That's also the day fans will be able to experience the LEGO Star Wars II: The Original Trilogy video game, the action-packed sequel -- filled with tongue-in-cheek humor -- to one of the best selling video games of 2005. EDITOR'S NOTE: I PLAYED THIS WITH MY 11-YEAR-OLD NEPHEW THE LAST TIME I VISITED HIM. (OR RATHER, HE PLAYED IT, AND I GOT KILLED A LOT. AND INCOMPREHENSIBLY KILLED. AS IN, I HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE HECK WAS GOING ON). IT'S VERY COOL-LOOKING, THOUGH.

Exclusive T-shirts to Commemorate DVD ReleaseIn celebration of the release of the Star Wars trilogy on individual DVDs -- with each one including the original unaltered theatrical version of the film as a special bonus -- StarWarsShop is offering three exclusive t-shirts available only to our shoppers for a limited time! Each shirt will also be accompanied by an exclusive collector card, which is available in limited quantities while supplies last.

The first tee in the series, Han Solo, portrays the classic trilogy hero ready to take on an Empire -- look for two more tees to follow in the coming weeks.

EDITOR'S NOTE: FOR ALL THE SNARK, LET'S PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE HERE, OK? THIS IS LIKE 'NEW COKE' MAKING HAY ON THEIR FAN-FURY FLOP. GOD BLESS UNCLE G. HE EVEN MAKES GOOD WHEN HE MAKES BOOBOOS. (GENIUS!)This exclusive t-shirt artwork, which is only available from StarWarsShop, will have a distressed, worn look that includes the chapter text "IV" on the sleeve. A great vintage look to commemorate the DVD debut of the vintage film!

Another Star Wars movie?Seems the “Star Wars” film franchise mightn’t have ended with Vader ‘rising’ from that bench, after all…well, not if Lucasfilm’s Rick McCallum has his way, anyway.

Asked by IESB if he would like to continue the “Star Wars” series on the big screen, Uncle George’s right-hand man said he’d “definitely” love to see another “Star Wars” film back at theatres before you, and me are six feet in soil.

Assumingly, any new “Star Wars” movie/movies won’t have anything to do with the long-suffering Skywalker clan, but centre on another bunch of galactic space heroes. If I were a betting man – and for the sake of my bookie reading this news item, I aren’t – I’d put money on a film idea spawning from the “Star Wars” TV series that is currently in early-development. It’s said to be fixing around the world of the bountyhunters. Now, how cool would a film about some of those hired guns, like Bobba Fett, be? Just guess work. EDITOR'S NOTE: DOES UNCLE GEORGE ACTUALLY LISTEN TO RICKYPOO? ISN'T LITTLE RICKY JUST THERE TO CURSE, SMOKE, AND BANTER? I WOULD BE VERY SURPRISED IF ANY MORE MOVIES HAPPEN. I GUESS, LET'S SEE HOW THE TV THING GOES. BUT UNCLE GEORGE HAS SAID HE WANTS TO DO OTHER THINGS WHILE HE STILL CAN, AND I CAN'T IMAGINE HIM TURING OVER THE SW REINS TO ANYONE ELSE.TIME WILL TELL. BUT METHINKS THIS IS MERELY RICKY-BABBLE.

Meantime, McCallum confirmed that the original “Star Wars” films will be re-issued at theatres in future – as 3-D releases. EDITOR'S NOTE: YES YES YES.....BUT WHEN???!!!

Revenge Of The Sith On Cable TVFan of TheForce.net "Jedi518" found this news and wanted to share!

Just checked the schedule for the month of June for HBO and saw that Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith will premiere on HBO on June 3rd 8pm. EDITOR'S NOTE: GOOFY THAT THIS EXCITES, GIVEN THAT WE ALL HAVE COPIES OF THE DVD. BUT IT'S FUN TO CHANNEL SURF AND SEE OUR BEST FRIENDS, HUH?

Lucas takes on new role: 'Star Wars' action figureNot that long ago, in a galaxy right nearby, George Lucas joined forces with the dark side.

The "Star Wars" creator has become a Storm Trooper.

Hasbro, maker of "Star Wars" toys, is paying plastic tribute to Lucas, interpreting him as a limited-edition action figure in Storm Trooper attire.

The head of the toymaker's "Star Wars" division called Lucas "the greatest character in the universe."

"We took a cue from when Han Solo and Luke disguised themselves as Storm Troopers," said Derryl DePriest, marketing director and admitted lifelong "Star Wars" fan. "We placed George in his own universe that he created." EDITOR'S NOTE: SO...PIC? WHEN CAN WE BUY? ETC? (INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW, DARN IT!)

2006 Hyperspace Membership Kit PosterAs reported in an earlier post, this year's Hyperspace Membership Kit ( shipping soon! ) will include a poster. Well we've found out who the artist is and what the poster looks like! Here's this great piece titled "Padme" by Tsuneo Sanda

EDITOR'S NOTE: I'M NOT A HUGE FAN OF THIS ARTIST. HE'S KINDA THE STAR WARS VERSION OF LEROY NEIMAN. BUT THIS POSTER IS PRETTY COOL. (AND FREE IS ALWAYS GOOD, YES?)

Jay Shuster's illustration of one of the control pedestals found aboard the Trade Federation battleship -- meant to be reminiscent of an old seafaring ship's wheel.

Ryan Church sets the mood in this digital painting of the archducal viewing box in the Geonosian execution arena.

The huge clone embarkation area on Coruscant was realized as a large model environment at ILM.Spectacular explosions ignite the Trade Federation cruiser as General Grievous makes his escape.This early Joe Johnston illustration of the wampa ice creature had it appear very alien as compared to its more naturalistic final version. EDITOR'S NOTE: AND LOOK...HE'S WAVING AT YOU! WAVE BACK! DID YA WAVE?

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Movie News

EDITOR'S NOTE: FIRST UP, SOME TRAILER NEWS. (TO FILL THIS SEMI-VOID IN ACTUAL MOVIES TO WATCH).SUPERMAN RETURNS Trailer On-LineThe first full length trailer for Superman Returns has finally shown up online. The trailer, which is viewable on Apple's website, will also be attached to the upcoming release of Mission Impossible 3.

The movie, which opens in all theaters on June 30th, stars Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey and is directed by Bryan Singer. EDITOR'S NOTE: HERE'S MY TAKE....SPACEY LOOKS FABULOUS. THE VISUALS LOOK GREAT. SUPES AND LOIS? LOOK VERY VERY LAME. (I HAVE A BAD FEELING ABOUT THIS ONE, DWEEBPALS).

French and English CASINO ROYALE Teaser Hits the NetWhen I first heard that Daniel Craig was cast to play one of the most famous roles in cinematic history, I shook my head. Why, I cried! He isn't attractive enough, sophisticated enough, suave enough, and the list went on and on. As soon as I heard the news, my mind was essentially made up to pass on the film.

Two versions of the Casino Royale teaser have appeared online. The first version is in French and the second in English. I saw the French version first and even without being able to understand what was said, I wanted to be the first to offer Mr. Craig an apology.

Without sound and in below average quality, Craig has me more excited for Casino Royale than for any other Bond film released in my lifetime. The English version only cements these sentiments.

The footage is gritty, dark, and engaging. Bourne Supremacy comes to mind as a good comparison. EDITOR'S NOTE: YOU MEAN THE LAME SEQUEL TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES? NOT A PLUS IN MY BOOK, BUT THAT'S WHAT MAKES HORSE RACES. I am impressed. I am excited. Bond is back.

Don't take it from me, go watch it and make up your own mind EDITOR'S NOTE: HE IS FLINTY-EYED AND LOVELY. IT LOOKS JUST LIKE A BOND MOVIE. (FOR MOSTLY BETTER; IT IS WHAT IT IS). AND IT HAS VOICE-OVER BY JUDI DENCH (WHICH MAKES EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT).LEAVING THE TRAILER PARK ---

NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS to be Re-Released in 3-D

Disney has staked it's claim to the Halloween weekend as The Nightmare Before Christmas prepares to roll into theaters on October 20, 2006. The movie will be digitally remastered and shown in 3-D, making it the second re-release of its kind for Disney (Chicken Little was the first). EDITOR'S NOTE: HOT DOG! I'VE ONLY SEEN IT THE ONCE, AND WAS WANTING TO SEE IT AGAIN ANYWAY. AND BOY, WON'T THIS BE A FUN ONE FOR 3-D?!

"When visitors came to visit the set of The Nightmare Before Christmas, they were always amazed by the intricate sets and beautiful puppets -- that they actually existed in miniature. It was disappointing to see this effect lost on film. By remastering for 3-D, I hope that some of this magic can be captured and shown to the audience in a way they've never seen before," said Henry Selick, the The Nightmare Before Christmas director.

The Nightmare Before Christmas was originally released in 1993, grossing over $50 million domestically. The October release figures to be at digital theaters across the country. Chicken Little's re-release played at over 80 locations and The Nightmare Before Christmas figures to greatly surpass that amount.

Word has it the 3-D glasses handed out at each screening will collectible rather than standard fare. EDITOR'S NOTE:OOOO...AND A BONUS KEEPSAKE TOO!AND NOW, A BUNCH OF MOVIES/COMICS/MOVIES -----

SE7EN Coming in SeptemberZenescope Entertainment has acquired the rights to Se7en from New Line Cinema. The comic will explore John Doe before the deadly sins murder story told in the film.

"Without giving too much away all I can say is this series will actually bring the reader into John Doe's world. We're going to look at everything through Doe's eyes this time rather than from the points of view of Detective Mills and Sommerset, as in the film," said Zenescope's Ralph Tedesco.

The films director, David Fincher, will not be involved with the comic. Neither will the movies screenwriter Kevin Walker.

Some of the comics authors will include: Raven Gregory (The Gift), Christian Beranek (Dracula vs. King Arthur), and potentially Steve Niles and David Wohl.

DRACULA (1992) Sequal May See LightThe Un-Dead, a sequel to Dracula (1992), is in development via Blue Tulip Productions and Atchity Entertainment.

There is no named director as of yet for the project, but a script has been penned by Ian Holt. The script has the movie taking place 25 years after Dracula and focuses on the surviving characters. This is the first sequel the descendants of Dracula author Bram Stoker have authorized.

Dracula (1992) was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

Comic RED SONJA Gets the Green LightEDITOR'S NOTE: HERE ARE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR ALL THOSE COMICS ARTISTS --- 1. DON'T THOSE ABSURDLY LARGE BAZONGAS GET IN THE WAY OF SWINGING THAT SWORD, 2. DOES'T THAT OUTFIT GET DRAFTY?, AND 3. DOESN'T SHE WORRY ABOUT CHAFING WHEN SHE'S RACING THRU THE JUNGLE? (OH...AND HER HAIR MUST GET IN HER EYES. ALL REAL DISADVANTAGES IN A FIGHT, DONCHA THINK?)One of the bestselling indie comic books available is coming to the silver screen. Red Sonja, a sword-and-sorcery comic book from Dynamite Entertainment, has been green lit with a production budget north of $25 million.

Red Sonja was released on the big screen in 1985 starring Brigitte Nielson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. It will be remade by Millennium Films and Emmett/Furla.

"The first movie was not a good one -- all the more reason to remake it. It is a great character and a great brand," said Joe Gatta, Head of Millennium Films.

Personally, I don't think they could do any worse than the original.

Mark Protosevich Penning Mighty Thor

Back in December of 2004, the talk of the town was that David Goyer (Batman Begins, Blade) was in talks to pen and direct Marvel's big-screen adaption of Thor. Avi Arad, Marvel Studios CEO, went on record at the premiere of Blade saying, "Thor is being written now. Actually, David is going to write it. He is a Thor fanatic for a long time. He's going to write it."

My how things have changed. Thor will now be hammering his way to the big screen via Mark Protosevich's (Poseidon, The Cell) mighty pen.

"In the comics, the stories that appealed to me most were the features called 'Tales of Asgard,'" Protosevich said. "I don't want to give too much away, but I will say the movie will take place in the world of myth and legend but will not betray some of the thematic elements of the comics that made them so appealing ... like the idea of a god growing to truly understand man." The movie's budget is projected as high as $165 million, and is being funded via a $525 million fund from Merrill Lynch. The film is expected to be distributed under Marvel's arrangement with Paramount.

Fans of the comic were high on wrestler Triple H to play the part of Thor, but Marvel has released no word thus far on possible casting.

TITANS Remake in the DevelopmentWarner Bros. Pictures has hired screenwriter Travis Beacham to write the remake of CLASH OF THE TITANS.

The 1981 film starred Harry Hamlin, Laurence Olivier, Claire Bloom, Maggie Smith, Ursula Andress, Jack Gwillim, Susan Fleetwood, and Burgess Meredith. TITANS also featured the stop motion animation work of Ray Harryhausen, who did the special effects for the movie.

The action-adventure-fantasy story revolves around Perseus (Hamlin) searching for Medusa's head so he can stop the monsterous Kraken and save Princess Andromeda from being sacrificed to the creature.

Thunder Road Pictures' Basil Iwanyk will produce. EDITOR'S NOTE: NOT WANTING TO SAY ANYTHING ILL OF ANYTHING INVOLVING THE GREAT HARRYHAUSEN, BUT I GIGGLE JUST THINKING ABOUT THIS HORRIBLE, CHEESEFEST. (MY MY MY)

No STOPPING De BontIntermedia, QED International and Action Concept have signed Jan De Bont to direct STOPPING POWER.

The story centers on a single father on vacation with his daughter and girlfriend who suddenly finds himself at the center of a high-speed car chase after his daughter is kidnapped by a criminal who has stolen their RV. The father is forced to act as a decoy in the getaway car, leading the police across the city.

Richard Shepard is rewriting Eric Red's original script. Filming will begin this September

Plot details are being kept under wraps, but the story is described as a dramatic thriller that revolves around a support group for extraordinary people with extraordinary problems. EDITOR'S NOTE: OOO...SIGN ME UP! SIGN US ALL UP! (AS DWEEBS, WE ARE BY DEFINITION EXTRAORDINARY, DONT' YOU THINK?)

Vertigo's Gabriel Mason brought the material into the shingle and will executive produce.

Hennessy, Arnold go 'Hogs' wildTichina Arnold and Jill Hennessy have joined the cast of "Wild Hogs," a comedy for Touchstone Pictures being produced by Tollin/Robbins Prods. Walt Becker is directing.

The movie, written by Brad Copeland, will see John Travolta, Tim Allen, Martin Lawrence and William H. Macy as a group of frustrated, middle-age suburban biker wannabes who hit the open road in search of adventure, only to encounter a rough and tumble New Mexico biker gang called the Del Fuegos.

Fox morphs to robot pic for D'Works Megan Fox has signed on as the female lead in DreamWorks' "Transformers." Shia LaBeouf already has boarded the live-action adaptation of the 1980s Hasbro toy line of giant robots that morph into cars, trucks, planes and ships.

Fox will play Mikaela, the love interest of LaBeouf's character. The Michael Bay-helmed film is being produced by Angry Films' Don Murphy, Tom DeSanto and Lorenzo di Bonaventura. Steven Spielberg is executive producing EDITOR'S NOTE: OOO...MICHAEL BAY. SO WE KNOW IT WILL BE LOUD. AND PROBABLY SEMI-PLOTLESS.

Arnold swims with 'P.D.R.'Tom Arnold has joined the cast of the Lionsgate period drama "P.D.R."

Terrence Howard and Bernie Mac are toplining the film, which chronicles the true-life story of Jim Ellis (Howard), who in the 1970s started a black swim team in one of the roughest neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Arnold plays the racist swim coach of the rival team

Black hits 'Rewind' for GondryJack Black is set to star in Michel Gondry's eccentric comedy "Be Kind Rewind," playing a junkyard worker whose brain is magnetized, destroying every tape in his friend's video store and forcing the pair to remake the lost films.

Focus Features International has nabbed international sales rights to the under-$20 million Partizan production, which begins a two-month shoot Sept. 6 in New York.

In the film, Black plays Jerry, a man whose headaches lead him to believe his brain is melting. His brain is magnetized, leading to the unintentional destruction of movies in his friend's store. In order to keep the store's one loyal customer, an elderly lady with signs of dementia, the pair re-creates a long line of films including "The Lion King," "Rush Hour," "Back to the Future" and "Robocop."

Producer Georges Bermann of Partizan said Gondry, who has partnered with Partizan since 1989, came to him in November with several ideas. "Michel is a super-fast writer," Bermann said. "He handed in a draft three weeks. Focus was interested the second they heard the pitch and made the deal within a week."

Vaughn and Keener gettin' WildThe unlikely twosome of Vince Vaughn and Catherine Keener will headline Sean Penn’s next film as director, “Into the Wild”, says The Hollywood Reporter.

The film, says the trade, chronicles the true story of Christopher McCandless, who graduated from college in 1992, abandoned his possessions and hitchhiked to Alaska to live in the wilderness and return to nature. He died four months later in an abandoned bus at a remote campsite. Penn adapted the screenplay from Jon Krakauer's book of the same name.

Keener's character picks up the hitchhiker and takes him in as a surrogate son. Vaughn plays a tow-truck driver whom Hirsch's character meets on the road.

13 Weddings and a FuneralHot on the heels of his turn in the all-star parody “American Dreamz” Hugh Grant is set to intermingle into another ensemble.

According to ClooneyStudio.com, Grant is in talks to join the famous-faces of “Ocean’s Thirteen”, at the request of captain Clooney himself.

Grant told New! magazine that he’s definitely going to consider the silver hawk’s offer. "I love George, and the fact that he films his movies so quickly also makes me happy. I will look at whatever he has to offer and if it's right then I would jump at the chance."

What a treat “Ocean’s Thirteen” is shaping up to be – aside from the regular bunch, there’s Al Pacino, Ellen Barkin, and possibly – according to the sometimes unswerving rumour mill, anyway – Angelina Jolie. Nice. EDITOR'S NOTE: INDEED. WISH THEY'D BRING BACK JULIA ROBERTS. (SHE WAS SO CUTE WITH GEORGE CLOONEY IN THE LAST ONE).

Boy From Oz, Officially a Tourist?

He apparently steams up the screen for a few minnies in “X-Men 3” – in a scene with a certain female comrade – but you’ll get a bigger look at Hugh Jackman's passion pack, apparently, in a “sexy” new thriller he's doing with the producers of “Die Hard”.

Producer Arnold Rifkin tells IGN FilmForce that the Boy from Oz will headline “The Tourist”, a Marcel Langenegger-directed film about “…about a demented young man who realizes the opportunity – there's nothing in life he won't do to gain what he wants, including taking people's lives."

Rifkin, whose also currently working on “Die Hard 4”, continues “There exists truly in New York what's known as a phone club and you simply call up and say, 'Are you free tonight?' The other individual on the other side says 'Yes," and they say, 'Fine. Plaza Hotel. 11 o'clock in front of the Blue Boy painting.'"

"It's about A-type people who also need their pleasure. They want their intimacy but their privacy and they don't want a relationship. And they don't want their lives interfered with (by) the complications of love," Rifkin continued. "They just want to – I can't say what they're going to do. Surrounding that is two extraordinary male roles. Obviously the character of Wyatt, who is the antagonist, searches for people who are anonymous to the world. It was an astounding experiment in research of how many people live a life [with] no relatives. ... Hugh Jackman fell in love with it. He's playing Wyatt."

Is Die Hard 4 ready?Sounds like the Singlet’s closer to getting a blood and sweat splashing, again.

In an interview with IGN FilmForce, “Die Hard 4” producer Arnold Rifkin - who is partnered with Bruce Willis in the production company Cheyenne Enterprises - says they may finally have a script (still can’t work out why they just didn’t retool “16 Blocks” or “Hostage” to fit the McClane character? Wouldn’t have been too difficult at all), after all these years of nutting out ideas.

“The most recent attempt, draft is on the table, and if the parties [20th Century Fox and Willis] agree, we have a script”, says, whose latest film as producer is the Lindsay Lohan vehicle “Just My Luck”.

Originally rumoured to be directing the film was John McTiernan, helmer of the first and third “Die Hard” films, but the director’s recent legal woes related to the much-publicized Anthony Pellicano case has put a stop to that. Asked whether there’s any chance that McTiernan might still get the job, Rifkin said: "Not a chance. I don't say that pejoratively. We're going to find a new, young, exciting [director]. Well, it's kind of tough to get John [now]. He might not be available."

We’re taking bets : What will be out first, “Die Hard 4” or “Indiana Jones 4”? EDITOR'S NOTE: AND DO US ALL A FAVOR AND DON'T RUSH EITHER OF THEM. MAKE THEM RIGHT, OR DON'T MAKE THEM, OK?

Another 20,000 Leagues/Captain Nemo getting remadeNew Line is taking Captain Nemo back under the sea.

The studio has grabbed a pitch by Craig Tilley to update Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

The original Disney filmed starred James Mason, Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre in a hunt for a huge, mysterious creature that has become a threat to shipping.

The new version will focus more on the background of Nemo and the prisoners aboard his sub, the Nautilus. Sam Raimi will be producing, but he doesn’t plan to direct.

Nora Ephron Gets Cooking/Writing and directing a book adaptationNora Ephron has recovered from the debacle that was Bewitched and is planning to write and direct an adaptation of Julie Powell’s book Julie And Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.

Yes, she’s turning a cookbook into a movie.

Okay, so it’s a little more than that.

Powell has chronicled how she broke out of her frustrating life as a temp by undertaking a yearlong question to make all the recipes in Julia Child’s Mastering The Art Of French Cooking. She blogged about her struggles and landed a book deal.

"Julia Child is such an important figure in my life, and also appealing was the chance to focus on the madness of blogging," Ephron told Variety. EDITOR'S NOTE: IT HAS TO BE MORE ABOUT THE COOKING, THAN THE BLOGGING, RIGHT? I MEAN, I'M SITTING HERE, TYPING AWAY ON MY LOVELY DWEEBLOG, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S ALL THAT....UMMM...FILMABLE. (EXCEPT FOR THE PART, WHERE I'M TAKING OFF MY OFFICE CLOTHES AT THE SAME TIME....)LET'S TAKE A MOMENT AND RUN SCREAMING FROM OUR COMPUTERS.....OK. EVERYONE BACK?

Emma Roberts Is A Rodeo Gal/A horse-wrangling romance

Emma Roberts is becoming a busy young actress. The niece-of-Julia (that name extension isn’t likely to go away just yet), has just finished detective work on Nancy Drew and has leapt on board Rodeo Gal.

She’ll play the lead, a young horse-rider who falls in lurve with this totally dreamy cowboy and – for reasons best left to scriptwriter Katie Wech, who pitched the idea – ends up entering the rodeo.

"This is material kids haven't seen, a marriage between the elegant equestrian world and the rough rodeo, with all the conflicts," blabbed producer Jerry Weintraub to Variety. EDITOR'S NOTE: IT SEEMS SO RETRO. NO GAY AFFAIR? NO SAD, LONELY LIVES?

Sneaking a little Dweebing

EDITOR'S NOTE: OOOO...I AM SOOOOO NAUGHTY. JUST SNEAKING A WEE BIT OF DISNEY DWEEBING AT ONE OF MY SEMI-ODIOUS JOBS. (BAD BAD BAD).HOPE YOU ENJOY IT, CAUSE I SURE FEEL DIRTY. (SORT OF IN A GOOD WAY?)

FINE TUNING CARS(AN INTERVIEW WITH BONNIE HUNT)

She’s been a monster, a black widow spider, and soon you’ll see her as a sporty little PorscheTM 911 – but behind them all she’s Bonnie Hunt.

The versatile actress is a regular feature in Pixar’s films, having voiced characters in “A Bug’s Life,” “Monsters Inc.,” and “Cars.” And because each film takes from four to five years to make, she has come to know Pixar inside and out.

On June 9, the latest Disney*Pixar opus will hit the big screen.

Sally and her co-star, Lightning McQueen

“Cars” is the story of a hotshot race car (voiced by Owen Wilson) who’s forced to contemplate values beyond speed when he breaks down in the sleepy little town of Radiator Springs. Among the colorful characters he encounters are the dignified town mayor Doc (film legend Paul Newman) … and a spunky blue coupe named Sally. In a world populated entirely by cars, we get to see the milieus of big city, sleepy town, and speedway, with a cast of automotive characters as diverse, funny, and exciting as any human ensemble. EDITOR'S NOTE: WHAT DOES IT SAY ABOUT THE..OOH,HATE THIS WORD...'ZEITGEIST' THAT JUST AS WE ARE UNABLE TO AFFORD TO DRIVE OUR REAL CARS, WE GET A SPUNKY CARTOON ABOUT AUTOS?

We sat down with Bonnie to get the inside scoop on the making of “Cars” and some tips about what we’ll be seeing when the movie opens.

Bonnie was in on the process at the very beginning, she tells us, thanks to her longstanding relationship with Pixar and its president, John Lasseter.

“One night John said to me, ‘The next movie I’m writing, you’ll be the girl in it.’ This is years ago, after we did ‘A Bug’s Life.’ So right from the start, he knew I would be playing Sally, even when the movie was just a concept in his mind,” she explains.EDITOR'S NOTE: TRIVIA BREAK ----Bonnie Hunt has voiced characters in three Pixar features -- has any actor had a voice in all of them?

Yep -- John Ratzenberger, Pixar's "lucky charm," can be heard in every full-length Pixar film to date!

Her involvement with “Cars” continued from that early stage right through to the finishing touches.

“I have a very close relationship with Pixar – I don’t just work with them, I consider them my friends,” says Bonnie. “You record dialogue before they begin animation, and then they’ll do more drawings, work on their story more, record the other characters, put voices together, do some rough sketched animation, and then you come back. It’s a very layered process. I’m in awe of what they do. I’ve been out there many times to visit them at the studio. I’ll go for a couple of hours of recording, but I end up staying all day and visiting the animators and talking to everybody.”EDITOR'S NOTE: WILL SOMEONE GET THIS CRAZY LADY OUT OF MY OFFICE SO I CAN GET SOME WORK DONE! (GIGGLE)

Bonnie thinks that, as much as anything we’ve seen so far from Pixar, “Cars” is a movie close to John Lasseter’s heart.

“This movie is very John Lasseter!” she laughs. “He took a trip in a Winnebago with his family after his wife basically said ‘you’re working all the time, and the kids are going to grow up in the blink of an eye.’ And he stopped! So they went on a Route 66 road trip. When he came back, he decided to write about this. It’s a very personal story.”

That Route 66 experience is evident in all the loving details of “Cars,” which is packed with roadside attractions based on those you’ll see along the famous highway – with a car-themed twist.

For instance, Sally runs a motel where guests sleep in, but traffic cones.

And the Lasseter family trip may be the source of what Bonnie describes as her favorite moment in the movie: “Lightning McQueen and Sally are overlooking the interstate that cuts through the town of Radiator Springs. She talks about how fast people go, that they don’t know what they’re missing when they go that fast.”

That “stop and smell the radiator fluid” message is also the secret of the Pixar filmmaking style: take your time, make sure it’s the best it can be, and don’t rush the movie. The only drawback? We have to wait so long to see each one!

Bonnie, for one, eagerly anticipates the premiere.

“I can’t wait to watch children see the movie, and for people to see another great Pixar experience. The teamwork that goes into these films that they do is amazing, on top of the awe-inspiring technical achievements and the storytelling involved. It’s one of those incredibly unique experiences where it’s all about the talent.”

Sunday, April 30, 2006

I hate having real work that interferes with DWEEBING!

EDITOR'S NOTE: CATCHING UP WITH A SMATTERING OF LEFT-OVER DWEEBING FROM THIS PAST WEEK. (IT IS NO FAIR THAT I HAVE TO DO ACTUAL WORK AT MY NEW JOBS, BUT EMPLOYERS CAN BE SO FUSSY THAT WAY, HUH?)

THIS JUST IN:James, You're Such A Tease

There's been more than a few poster designs that have surfaced on the net for the upcoming 007 flick "Casino Royale" starring Daniel Craig, but up until now, they were clever (and sometimes not so clever) fakes.

Over the weekend, the real deal surfaced on Finnish website Nordisk Film, and the clever chaps over at Commander Bond.net have had it confirmed by those in the know.

Officially, the teaser will hit cinema screens May 19th in front of "The Da Vinci Code", and "Casino Royale" debuts (apparently worldwide now) on November 17th.ALL ABOUT THE SCIFI CHANNEL:EDITOR'S NOTE: HARD TO BELIEVE THESE DWEEB-WANNABE'S ARE MAKING OUR BLOG, HUH? IT SEEMS THEY ARE 'BEAMING' BACK INTO THE SCIFI UNIVERSE FOR A CHANGE. (JUST TO KEEP THEIR HANDS IN, I GUESS. OR MAYBE SOMEONE THREATEND TO CHANGE THEIR NAME TO 'SPIKE JR.'?)

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA #1by Greg Pak & Nigel RaynorBased on the hit Sci-Fi Channel series, this "untold tale" takes place between seasons of Battlestar Galactica, and features the return of characters not seen since the smash mini-series that re-launched Galactica to critical acclaim. EDITOR'S NOTE: MUST GET THE LOVELY FOLKS AT THIRD PLANET (MY FAVE SCIFI/COMICS STORE) TO PUT THIS ON MY 'HOLD' LIST.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA PREQUELThe Sci Fi Channel will delve into the backstory of "Battlestar Galactica" with a new series that looks at the years leading up to humanity's devastation by the Cylons. The prequel, called "Caprica," heads a list of development projects the cable network unveiled Wednesday.

"Caprica" will be set more than 50 years prior to the events of "Battlestar Galactica" and focus on the lives of two families -- the Adamas (ancestors of future Galactica commander William) and the Graystones. Humankind's Twelve Colonies are at peace and on the verge of a technological breakthrough: the first Cylon. EDITOR'S NOTE: RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!!!

As "Battlestar Galactica" is about a lot more than space battles, "Caprica" will be as much family drama as sci-fi tale. Remi Aubuchon ("The Lyon's Den," "24") is writing the pilot script; "Galactica" veterans Ronald D. Moore and David Eick will executive produce it. EDITOR'S NOTE: HAVE I EVER MENTIONED HOW MUCH I LOVE STORY ARCS AND CONTINUITY? (A TIME OR TWO, PERHAPS)?

STARGATE SG-1Good news for fans of STARGATE SG-1 and STARGATE ATLANTIS -- Richard Dean Anderson is returning for several appearances on both series. EDITOR'S NOTE: NOW ALL THEY NEED ARE, UMM....LET'S SEE....WRITERS. OH, AND MAYBE THEY COULD PURGE A FAIR NUMBER OF THE CAST. (EXCEPT THE "FARSCAPE" REFUGEES, OF COURSE).

Brad Wright—executive producer of both series said that it's been like old times having Richard Dean Anderson back, reprising his role as Gen. Jack O'Neill.

Anderson's first appearance will be in "200," SG-1's 200th episode, which will air Aug. 18 as part of the series' upcoming 10th season.

"It's been a lot of fun to see him again," Wright said in an interview. "He's doing two episodes of SG-1 and three episodes of Atlantis." Wright said that SG-1 could not toast its 200th episode without its original leading man. "He was so much the face of SG-1 for so many years," Wright said. "We did go on without him and made some fine television, but for the 200th episode there was just no way we could even consider doing it without bringing him back. And, of course, when we called him to ask him to do that, he said, 'Just one?' So it was nice to know that he wanted to come back. And it's actually kind of a testament to the environment we have here. People miss it when they're gone. It's just a fun place to work, and it's a fun show to work on. That's why everybody still works their butt off and why we're still on the air, I guess, because it shows on the screen." EDITOR'S NOTE: OH. IS THAT WHY! I WONDERED.....(SMIRK)

SG-1's 200th episode is a send-up that picks up the story of the show's 100th episode, "Wormhole X-Treme!" and brings back guest star Willie Garson as abductee-turned-Hollywood producer Martin Lloyd. EDITOR'S NOTE: THEN AGAIN, SOMETIMES STORY ARCS ARE JUST EXPANDED GOBBLEDYGOOK.

The episode "is based on a great idea [executive producer] Robert [C. Cooper] had, and we've all written bits and put them all together, and Robert went through it, and then I went through it," Wright said. "It's essentially a 'Wormhole X-Treme!' revisited, in a sense, because Marty comes back, but this time he needs our help to work on the Wormhole X-Treme! feature [film]. Because even though the series was canceled after three episodes, it did well on DVD. A little nod to Serenity, I suppose. EDITOR'S NOTE: ALWAYS DANGEROUS REFERENCING A MUCH BETTER SHOW, DON'T YOU THINK? And the Air Force loves it, because they love the notion of a television series out there that is ostensibly ... [the] real events in SG-1, in Stargate Command. So, plausible deniability. ... So it's a series of, I guess you could call them, vignettes or flashes. ... 'Wormhole X-treme!' was pushing it. This is pushing it twice as far. But, you know, it's the 200th episode."

Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, which comes back for a third season, will both return with new episodes beginning on July 14.

MORE SCI FI CHANNEL PRODUCTIONSThe SCI FI Channel unveiled a full development slate of scripted series, reality programming and late-night shows in a presentation to advertisers here this week, including new shows from executive producers Eric McCormack (NBC's Will & Grace), Freddie Prinze Jr. and Oscar-winning writer Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects).

The scripted series in development includeBLINK, from executive producers McCormack and Michael Forman and writer Irving Belateche. The series asks the question: What would happen if you could freeze that moment in time when something you do or a decision you make changes your life forever? A group of Afterlife investigators try to help those about to make the wrong choice, in the blink of an eye before destiny is sealed forever. EDITOR'S NOTE: GOSH, LIKE WHEN I WENT INTO ADVERTISING? I THINK I MIGHT WANT THAT CHOICE BACK, SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE. (GIGGLE). Blink comes from NBC Universal Television Studio and Big Cattle Productions.

PERSONS UNKNOWN, which McQuarrie executive-produces with Heather McQuarrie, is a surreal mind game of a series centering on a group of strangers who awaken in a deserted town with no memory of how they arrived, only to realize that there is no escape. PERSONS UNKNOWN is from Fox Television Studios.

THE BISHOP, from executive producers Prinze and Conrad Jackson, is a one-hour drama that revolves around a young slacker whose charmed life is disrupted when he discovers that he has a supernatural gift, and he goes on a quest to uncover his secret past. THE BISHOP is from Brillstein-Grey Television.

DESTINATION TRUTH, from Neil and Michael Mandt, focusing on one man's investigations of unexplained phenomena across the globe, from the Fire Worm of Mongolia to the Chupacabra of Chile. The show is hosted by Josh Gates.

GROUND CONTROL, late night programming from Carson Daly Productions. A half-hour late-night daily show focusing on a wide range of human interest and news topics relating to science fiction and the world of the supernatural, the paranormal and the unexplained. EDITOR'S NOTE: WHEN THE SF CHANNEL FIRST SIGNED ON, IT HAD A LITTLE HALF-HOUR NEWSIE SHOW THAT WAS QUITE FUN. (IT LOOKED A BIT LIKE IT WAS PRODUCED IN SOMEONE'S BASEMENT. IF YOUR BASEMENT HAD PRETTY GOOD CAMERAS AND CHASE MASTERSON).

Also in development is an as-yet-untitled sketch comedy series featuring the Ministry of Unknown Science: sketch comics Jason Berlin, Tim Walker, Rico Gagliano and Eric Truheart. Mocking the classic PBS science news-magazine- show format, the show will feature mockumentary segments, sketches, commercial parodies, field tests, interviews and other stream-of-consciousness comedy.

NEW LIMITED SERIESSCI FI Channel unveiled plans for a new limited series MOTEL MAN, a one-hour thriller called SNAP and CHARIOTS OF THE GODS, a six-hour miniseries based on the best-selling book by Erich von Daniken, the network announced at its upfront presentation to advertisers in New York on April 26.

MOTEL MAN:The eight-hour Motel Man, which SCI FI will air in December, is a cross between The Fugitive and The Twilight Zone and follows a detective who discovers a seemingly ordinary motel room key that opens up a portal to alternate worlds, infusing mundane objects with mysterious powers. EDITOR'S NOTE: DON'T TELL THE MANAGEMENT, OR THEY WILL CHARGE EXTRA! Chris Leone, Laura Harkcom and Paul Workman wrote and will co-executive-produce the limited series, from Lionsgate Television. Production will begin in the summer. Motel Man could eventually turn into a regular series.

SNAP, Jesse Alexander (Lost) will produce Snap, about a federal agent up against a Big Brother-type artificial intelligence.

CHARIOTS OF GODSChariots of the Gods will be executive-produced by Oscar winner Irwin Winkler and written by John Whelpley. The book introduced the theory that Earth was visited by extraterrestrials in ancient times. The miniseries centers on a soldier returning from his tour of duty, who brings with him an artifact that holds the key to uncovering the secret that aliens have been interfering with human genetics. Rob Cowan and David Winkler also will executive produce.EDITOR'S NOTE: WOW. I WONDER IF IT'S ACCIDENTAL OR IF ALIENS ABDUCTED THE SF CHANNEL MUCKETY-MUCKS AND REPLACED THEM WITH PEOPLE WHO....OH, LET'S GO OUT ON A LIMB HERE...ACTUALLY LIKE SCIFI? IF THE LATTER, I HOPE THE ALIENS ARE FEEDING THE OLD REGIME WELL AND THAT THE EXPERIMENTS DON'T HURT. MUCH. MEANWHILE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE SCI FI CHANNEL MIGHT ACTUALLY BE TELEVISION FOR SCIFI FANS AGAIN. WOOHOO! (WONDER IF THEIR SISTER CHANNEL, USA NET, WILL STILL HAVE FUN STUFF LIKE "THE 4400" AND "THE DEAD ZONE"? OR IS THAT BEING GREEDY OF ME?)

SCI FI PULSESCI FI Channel announced that its new content-rich online broadband channel, SCI FI PULSE, will go live on May 8.

Bonnie Hammer, president of USA Network and SCI FI Channel, and Dave Howe, executive vice president and general manager, SCI FI Channel, made the announcement at the network's presentation to advertisers in New York on April 26.

Dedicated to original programs and tie-ins to SCI FI's existing shows, SCI FI PULSE will initially feature complete episodes of select SCI FI original series, full-length uncut SCI FI original movies, behind-the-scenes footage, deleted scenes and more. Throughout the summer SCI FI Pulse will roll out its own exclusive original content, including a weekly SCI FI Wire news show, the return of the popular Exposure online film festival, webisode spinoffs of SCI FI's hit series, user-generated programming and more. EDITOR'S NOTE: AND AGAIN, I HAVE TO SAY WOW. SOMEONE DRANK SOME VERY GOOD COOL-AID AT SCIFI. WISH THEY'D DONE IT SOONER, BUT HOORAH FOR SMALL MIRACLES.

Among the offerings:

TV 360 & Webisodes: As part of NBC Universal's overall commitment to "TV 360" content, every SCI FI Channel show in development will have a unique broadband component, such as the recent live online psychic readings by Char Margolis, the popular videoblogs of Battlestar Galactica executive producer David Eick and the online voting for Who Wants to Be a Superhero?

Exposure Film Festival: Exposure, SCI FI's unique online short film festival, offers filmmakers the chance to have their short film voted into a two-hour special that will air on SCI FI and possibly other NBC Universal channels.

Online Pilots: Potential series pilots will be posted online for viewer feedback. The fate of these online pilots will be determined in large part by their reception on SCI FI Pulse. EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS HAS EXCELLENT POTENTIAL. ASSUMING THEY ACTUALLY LISTEN TO THE FANS, FOR A CHANGE. ("FARSCAPE", AHEM.....) I HOPE THEY PUBLICIZE THE POSTING OF THE PILOTS TO GIVE US A CHANCE TO KNOW ABOUT THEM AND OPINE IN A TIMELY FASHION.

A FEW (NON-SCIFI) TV ITEMS:NBC Announces Drama Pickups for the 2006-07 SeasonNBC Entertainment President Kevin Reilly announced 2006-07 season pickups Friday for three dramas: "Medium," "Crossing Jordan" and "Las Vegas."

"Medium," which will return for a third season, is produced by Picturemaker Productions in association with CBS Paramount Network Television and Grammnet Productions. The show stars Emmy Award winner Patricia Arquette as a part-time consultant who helps a district attorney by using her special gift-the ability to communicate with dead people.

"Crossing Jordan," which will celebrate its 100th episode May 7, is produced by Tailwind Productions in association with NBC Universal Television Studio.

"Las Vegas," which profiles the lives of a Las Vegas casino staff, is currently in its third season. It is produced by NBC Universal Studio and DreamWorks Television.

The announcement comes a day after Mr. Reilly said he was renewing all three "Law & Order" dramas for the 2006-07 season.

Fox Picks Up Two Series for 2006-07Fox made two series pickups Thursday, giving the green light to Sony's marriage comedy "'Til Death" and 20th Century Fox TV's political thriller drama "Vanished."

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Both shows have been given 13-episode commitments for the 2006-07 season.

"'Til Death," created by Josh Goldsmith and Cathy Yuspa, stars Joely Fisher, Brad Garrett, Kat Foster and Eddie Kaye Thomas in a comedy that profiles two couples -- one recently married, the other long-term -- at different stages in their respective marriages.

"Vanished" was created by Josh Berman and follows a political conspiracy that surrounds the mysterious disappearance of a U.S. senator's wife. Ming-Na, Gale Harold, Chris Egan and Rebecca Gayheart star. EDITOR'S NOTE: OH. NOT GOOD. REBECCA GAYHEART IS KINDA LIKE ROBERT URICH......CAPABLE, BUT SERIES-SUCCESS-CURSED.

Fox gave no word on whether the shows will have a pre-season launch. At the beginning of this season, Fox found success with the early launch of its drama "Prison Break."

MOVIE NEWS:Marvel Studios outlines slew of superhero titlesMarvel Studios has hired Jon Favreau to develop and direct the big-screen adaptation of "Iron Man" and has attracted an impressive roster of writers to help bring some of its high-profile characters such as Captain America and Thor to the big screen.

Favreau will direct a feature version of Marvel's armored hero and develop the script with the writing team of Arthur Marcum and Matt Holloway ("Convoy").

The project originally was set up at New Line with Nick Cassavetes directing.

In the comic, Iron Man's real identity is that of billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, who develops an armored suit that lets him fly and shoot "repulsor rays." The comic debuted in the 1960s, and Iron Man's origin involved Stark being a prisoner of the Viet Cong. The comic evolved into Stark fighting spies, both political and industrial, while also battling alcoholism.

Carter's book centers on a 15-year-old girl who attends an elite spy-training academy in Washington and must deal with the mystery surrounding the death of her CIA agent father, her "Alias"-style spy education and a cute, off-limits civilian boy who doesn't know her true identity.

Ehle finds 'Glory' at New LineJennifer Ehle has signed on to star opposite Edward Norton and Colin Farrell in New Line Cinema's crime drama "Pride and Glory." Ehle will play Abby Tierney, a role that Samantha Morton was attached to play. Morton dropped out because of scheduling conflicts.

The story revolves around a three-generation family of New York cops. The family is thrown into turmoil when one son (Norton) uncovers a police corruption scandal involving his brother. EDITOR'S NOTE: SIBLINGS.....WHY WON'T OUR PARENTS LET US SHOOT THEM?! (MOM AND DAD ARE SOOOOOO MEAN).

Hurt Has VANTAGE POINTColumbia Pictures has set actor William Hurt to play the President of the United States in VANTAGE POINT. He joins a cast which includes Dennis Quaid and Matthew Fox.

The thriller revolves around an attempted presidential assassination told from five points of view. Barry Levy wrote the script. EDITOR'S NOTE: OOOOO..."RASHOMON". BUT, UM...NOT JAPANESE. AND PROBABLY NOT AS GOOD. BUT JUST LIKE THAT OTHERWISE!Neal Moritz will produce.

Heard tapped for 'Ordinary' leading roleAmber Heard is starring in "The Beautiful Ordinary," a teen comedy-drama being directed by newcomer Jessica Manafort. Persistent Entertainment partners Judd Payne and Matthew Rhodes are producing.

The movie, which Manafort also wrote, revolves around the relationship dynamics of a group of suburban teens on the last day of school in 1999. Heard will play a cool "stoner" chick who is looking for direction and meaning in her life. A shoot beginning next week in Wilmington, N.C., is being planned.

Smith, Muccino reteam for 'Tonight, He Comes'

Helmer Gabriele Muccino is reteaming with Will Smith for Columbia Pictures' action drama "Tonight, He Comes." The two recently wrapped the drama "The Pursuit of Happyness" for the studio.

Penned by Vince Gilligan and Vincent Ngo, "Tonight" centers on a tortured superhero who crash-lands in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, and tries to transform himself by romancing an alluring housewife, causing chaos in the city.

Akiva Goldsman and Michael Mann are producing alongside Smith and his Overbrook Entertainment partner, James Lassiter. Jonathan Mostow, who previously was attached to helm the film, and Richard Saperstein are executive producing. Sony's Jonathan Kadin and DeVon Franklin are overseeing for the studio. Muccino will begin prepping "Tonight" after he finishes postproduction on "Happyness," which is scheduled for a Dec. 15 release.

The studio is eyeing an early 2007 start date for "Tonight."

Myers Will Tangle with ROBOT UPRISINGParamount Pictures has signed Mike Meyers to star in the comedy HOW TO SURVIVE A ROBOT UPRISING.

The story centers on a technical administrator who has the thankless job of sounding warnings against the growing presence of robots and researching ways to keep those robots from taking over.

The script by Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant is based on a manual written by Daniel H. Wilson, a doctoral candidate at the Robotics Institute of Carnegie Mellon University. EDITOR'S NOTE: FAR BE IT FROM ME TO MAKE FUN OF A MOVIE BASED ON AN INSTRUCTION MANUAL. NOT SINCE THAT MOVIE-BASED-ON-A-THEME-PARK-RIDE TURNED OUT MUCH BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

Selleck discharges MagnumAfter years and years and years of trying to get a “Magnum P.” movie off the ground himself – and at one stage, with his friend, author Tom Clancy, penning the script – Tom Selleck, the actor who shot to fame in the role of Thomas Magnum, has perceptibly been so burnt by the studio who are now planning to make their version of his trademark TV show, that he wants nothing to do with it. Yep, that includes doing one of those superfluous cameo appearances.

Though the studio originally intended on bringing Selleck back to reprise his role as the Hawaiian-shirt loving playboy, they’ve now balked on the idea, and instead decided to cast a much more bankable lead.

At the moment, it seems George Clooney or Vince Vaughn might get the role.

"I won't be in it and I won't be doing some stupid cameo”, Selleck tells The Irish Examiner, whilst plugging his latest telemovie, CBS’s “Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise”. EDITOR'S NOTE: I'D RAZZ HIM ABOUT BEING BITTER, BUT IN THIS CASE, I'D SAY HE'S TOTALLY JUSTIFIED. (JUST CAUSE YOU'RE BITTER, DON'T MEAN YOU ARE WRONG, EH?)

Any sequels in your future, Jase?Speaking to the gang at JoBlo, Jason Statham said there’s a possibility we might be seeing super-Frank return to action-ville tin the near future.

Yep, “Transporter 3” is in the cards. EDITOR'S NOTE: I FELL DOWN AND COULDN'T REACH MY REMOTE. TWICE. (ONCE FOR "TRANSPORTER 1" AND ONCE FOR "TRANSPORTER 2"). AND FOUND MYSELF MUCH MORE ENTERTAINED THAN I EXPECTED. (OF COURSE, I'M PRETTY EASY....)

“People keep saying “when are you gonna do another one?” Luc (Besson, co-writer and co-producer of the ‘Transporter’ films) wants to do another one; I want to work with Luc. You don’t want to give people too much of one thing, you know you eat ice cream every day, you’re gonna get bored of it. But Luc said he’s got an amazing idea for part three, so if it’s a great story…in my eyes we can improve on the last one so much.” EDITOR'S NOTE: OK, YEAH. I MEAN, I'M EASY, BUT THERE IS AN AWFUL LOT OF ROOM OVER-HEAD TO MOVE UPWARD WITH THESE FLICS.This second bit, in which he mentions the apparently-full-speed-ahead sequel to “The Italian Job” fits in with what I’ve heard about the project recently – that it’s looking less and less likely to happen day-to-day, if only because of the task of regrouping the high-calibre cast.

“That’s a little bit more complicated because there’s a lot more people’s schedules to run together, so I don’t know how that’s gonna play out, but I’m good friends with Charlize (Theron) and Mark (Wahlberg), Seth (Green) and Mos (Def), and they all want to do it, so yeah, it would be great. For me, it’s not like working”. EDITOR'S NOTE: TRUTH TO TELL, MUCH OF ACTING IS LIKE NOT WORKING. (I MEAN, COMPARED TO A REAL JOB THAT IS BORING AND YOU HATE IT AND SUCH. TAKE IT FROM A BITTER REAL-WORLD DENIZEN).

Morgan Freeman as a black Santa Claus?Halle Berry has just wrapped filming on “Perfect Strangers”, her new thriller with Bruce Willis –and has already been locked into another pic, a family Christmas pic that’ll team her with Morgan Freeman.

Writer-director John Le Marre tells MTV that it’s “like 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' meets 'K-Pax.'...EDITOR'S NOTE: HOPE THEY SPIFF UP THE PR FROM THIS BEFORE THE RELEASE DATE. (FOR THE MTV/HIPHOP IMPAIRED).

Freeman plays a mental patient at a Harlem hospital psychiatric ward who believes himself to be Santa Claus. And Halle Berry plays the psychiatrist who's evaluating him. When Freeman’s character breaks out of the hospital and heads into a Toys R’Us, Berry’s character wonders whether he might be telling the truth.

The film will shoot in the Summer and be sent out to theatres in cans Summer 2007. EDITOR'S NOTE: THIS IS FOR A SUMMER RELEASE? DOESN'T SOUND KINDA CHRISTMASY? JUST ASKIN.....

007 babe now a Fugitive

Beautiful ex-Bond babe Rosamund Pike (“The World is Not Enough”) is gearing up for a little bit more ‘kiss, kiss, bang, bang’ with “Fugitive Pieces”, a new film from veteran telly director Jeremy Podeswa (TV’s “Commander-in-Chief”).

The film, which will shoot in Toronto, Canada and the islands of Hydra and Lesbos in Greece with production wrapping June 20, 2006, is based on the critically acclaimed and international best seller by Anne Michaels.

It tells of Jakob, a Jewish-Polish boy who witnesses the massacre of his family in the Second World War. He is found and saved by a Greek archeologist, Athos, who smuggles the boy to his island home in Greece where he raises him as his son. The two ultimately move to Toronto where Jakob, now an adult with a traumatized heart, is at last healed by a woman’s love.

“It is almost unbelievable to me that we are actually beginning principal photography after all this time in development. It is a small miracle that we have managed to pull together the resources to make it,” said Podeswa.

“To finally be able to bring Anne Michaels’ lyrical and powerfully moving novel to the screen is tremendously gratifying,” said producer Robert Lantos (“Where the Truth Lies”).

In addition to “Die Another Day”, Pike has also appeared in the likes of “Pride and Prejudice” and “Doom”. She is currently filming “Fracture” with Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling.

Celeborn joins the Hulk for RomulusLeaving the pricey epics behind for a stint, to do some deep and meaningful’s, New Zealand actor Marton Csokas (“Lord of the Rings”, “The Bourne Supremacy”) has joined popular Oz export Eric Bana for “Romulus, My Father”, the directorial debut of actor Richard Roxburgh (“Van Helsing”).

The movie, currently shooting in Maldon and Baringhup, is based on Raimond Gaita's critically acclaimed memoir describing Romulus’s eventful life in the face of his beautiful wife Christina’s struggle with mental illness. It is a story of impossible love and adversity, but ultimately one that celebrates the unbreakable bond between father and son. EDITOR'S NOTE: YEAH. OK. AND FRANKE POTENTE! YAY!

Alda's After The Champ/Joins the Rod Lurie drama

The cast of Rod Lurie’s boxing-based drama Resurrecting The Champ is getting even bigger.

Now that list has grown to include Alan Alda, who last appeared in cinemas in Scorsese’s The Aviator. He’s also been busy on TV, playing a Republican presidential hopeful on The West Wing. EDITOR'S NOTE: GOOD CAST. (WELL, EXCEPT FOR THAT SCREEN-SPEED-BUMP, JOSH HARTNETT).

Lurie plans to kick off shooting in June.

Angelina Jolie eyes Atlas Shrugged/Another team-up with Brad Pitt?Hollywood never stops scanning the bookshops and getting out its library card to try and find new material for movies. And Lionsgate has dusted off a 1957 tome long considered to be practically unfilmable. But then, they said that about Lord Of The Rings until a certain Mr Jackson proved otherwise.

No sign of Pete this time, though – but Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are apparently tempted by roles in a film version of US novelist Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged.

Rand’s novel is a bleak tale of American economic collapse, strife and civil war set in a chaotic future. Controversial but also beloved, it has had a long road to the screen. Producer Al Ruddy went to great lengths to try and get it made during the 1970s and early ‘80s, with the likes of Clint Eastwood and Robert Redford said to be interested in snagging parts. But with Rand retaining script approval, nothing ever quite worked. Then came 1982 and Rand’s death, which freed Ruddy up to keep trying. He finally gave up in 1999 after a US TV miniseries fell through.

In 2003, Howard and Karen Baldwin, two producers who are now riding high after the success of Ray, snapped up the rights. Their original plan outlined two films, but Lionsgate won’t stretch to that. And if they do snag Pitt and Jolie, the actors will be taking a hefty pay cut to appear. But they’re hopeful – the current power couple are both big fans of Rand’s work. But can something that depressing be filmed in a post 9/11 world? EDITOR'S NOTE: SOUNDS LIKE IT MIGHT RESONATE (OR BE TOO CLOSE TO HOME?) Lionsgate is about to find out.

Brody And Lohan Are Speechless/Starring in an indie comedy

Lindsay Lohan’s campaign to appear in every indie film currently being produced continues apace. She’s signed up to star in Speechless alongside Adrien Brody. EDITOR'S NOTE: YUM. The comedy was previously known as The Guided Man and follows an introverted type (Brody) who is asked to give a speech at a friend’s wedding and ends up hiring a service that lets someone else (Lohan) speak through him.

Based on a story by L Sprague De Camp in 1952, the film will be directed and co-written by Saved director Brian Dannelly, who is penning the script with regular writing partner Michael Urban and Steve Adams, who worked on the original adaptation.

Valette Hears CALLAlcon Entertainment, Intermedia, and Kadokawa Pictures USA have set French director Eric Valette to helm the English-language remake of Japanese supernatural horror film CHAKUSHIN ARI (ONE MISSED CALL).

Andrew Klavan adpated the original screenplay which centers on a college student whose friends begin receiving cell phone messages from the future in which they hear themselves being murdered. When she receives her own death message, the coed has three days to change her fate. EDITOR' NOTE: AND WOULDN'T YOU KNOW IT....IT'S DURING FINALS PREP!

A REASON NOT TO GO TO NYC:EDITOR'S NOTE: AT LAST....A REVIEW THAT DOESN'T MAKE WE WISH I COULD TAKE AN IMMEDIATE TRIP TO THE BIG APPLE. (ALL THAT ENVY AND COVETOUSNESS WAS GETTING QUITE WEARYING).The Wedding SingerBy Frank Scheck

Bottom line: How much 1980s nostalgia can you stand?

Al Hirschfeld Theatre,New York(Runs indefinitely)

Your fondness for 1980s nostalgia might get pushed to the breaking point in "The Wedding Singer," the new Broadway musical adaptation of the hit 1998 Adam Sandler-Drew Barrymore film comedy.

This highly unnecessary musicalization, produced by the same folks who brought you "Hairspray," throws in as many jokey references to that much-maligned decade as it can, and your appreciation of it will depend on your tolerance for endless jokes about such emblems of the era as A Flock of Seagulls and "Flashdance." EDITOR'S NOTE: SO 80'S NUTS/DWEEBPALS FRANK AND BETHANY (WHOM WE LOVE, DESPITE THEIR TASTES HAVING BEEN FORGED IN THAT TASTE-DEPRIVED ERA) SHOULD ENJOY THIS. AND THE REST OF US CAN CLEAN OUR BATHROOMS OR PRUNE OUR AZALEA BUSHES, OR SOMETHING!

Singing comedian Stephen Lynch takes the Sandler role as Robbie Hart, the maturity-deprived suburban New Jersey wedding singer who falls in love with Julia (Laura Benanti), a beautiful waitress preparing for her impending nuptials to her obnoxious fiance, Glen (Richard H. Blake).

What made the film work as well as it did was its two leads' off-kilter comic charm. Sadly, neither of their stage counterparts comes close to providing an approximation. Lynch is a likable and engaging performer, but he lacks Sandler's aggressive edge and comes off mainly as bland.

Benanti, whose mature beauty makes her seem too old for her role (she's only 26, however), lacks the daffy air of eccentricity that would make her attraction to her co-star more credible.

Lynch loses points, by the way, for adopting a flattering short haircut rather than the more period-appropriate mullet sported by Sandler in the film.

Chad Beguelin and Tim Herlihy's book, adapted from the latter's screenplay, is utterly formulaic in its plotting and characterizations and filled with comedic cliches from beginning to end. Such gags as Robbie's grandmother talking about sex or doing a rap number seemed tired even in the decade-old film. Whatever cleverness there is in the show stems more from the production design than the text, such as the views of Newark as seen from a revolving rooftop restaurant, the game of Pong projected on the curtain just before the second act, and the often hilarious costumes designed by Gregory Gale.

Not helping matters is the musical score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, which mainly consists of a series of bland rock and pop-style numbers that all too accurately recall the numbing banality of '80s-era pop music.

Director John Rando ("Urinetown") tries mightily to provide a wild comic exuberance to the proceedings, but the staging seems mostly haphazard. Several of the supporting performers do offer amusing turns, most notably Cahoon, as the gay band member who has modeled himself after Boy George and Spanger, who provides some real sexual sparks with her erotic striptease in the number "Let Me Come Home."

The show did seem to please the audience,EDITOR'S NOTE: IT'S NOT LIKE WE CAN TRUST AUDIENCES TO KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR THEM, RIGHT?! and there might be enough Jersey tourists who will be delighted at its gentle sending up of their home state. But "The Wedding Singer" seems unlikely to provide New Line Cinema with another screen-to-stage-to-screen transformation a la its hugely successful "Hairspray

MISC. ITEMS:NARNIA DVD Sweepstakes

Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media present THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE DVD Sweepstakes. Disney has decided to celebrate the success of the DVD by offering a sweepstakes for fans of the film.

One Grand Prize winner will receive a one of a kind replica of the Narnia Wardrobe.

50 First prize winners will receive a Narnia Gift set that includes Pete's Sword Letter Opener, Narnia One Sheet Reproduction poster, Narnia Original Soundtrack and a Narnia Battle of Beruna Deluxe action figure pack.

FROM THE LAND OF POTTER:Girlguiding interview with RowlingEarlier this month, we told you that Girlguiding Scotland, an organisation which help girls and young women to achieve their goals, would be interviewing 100 successful female members of the group. EDITOR'S NOTE: I KNOW GIRL GUIDING IS VERY SIMILAR TO GIRL SCOUTING. ARE THEY ALIGNED ORGANIZATIONS? I CAN'T REMEMBER.Jo Rowling is among them and her interview can now be seen at theGirlguiding website.

JK Rowling - AuthorJoanne Rowling is a writer and the creator of much loved wizard Harry Potter, she now calls Edinburgh her home. Joanne was a Brownie and a Guide.

How would you describe Scotland to someone who had never been?It is one of the most hauntingly beautiful places in the world, the history is fascinating, the men are handsome and the whisky is delicious. But don't eat the macaroni pies.Career…Because of the huge fame of the Harry Potter novels - and therefore great expectations surrounding them, how do you stop that from impacting how you develop the story or characters?I am very protective of my characters and the storyline; I stick fiercely to what I believe is right for them even if I know that it will make some fans unhappy (for instance, some of the romance in book six disappointed readers who were hoping for other pairings).However, resisting this kind of pressure is not as difficult as you might think, because I did a lot of planning in the seven years between having the idea for the Potter books and the publication of 'Philosopher's Stone', so I have a kind of map to keep me on track.

What was the best thing about being a teacher?I remember the laughs I had with my favourite classes. One of my best memories is being presented with flowers by 4F of St. David's in Dalkeith after our last lesson together. Neither before nor since have flowers meant so much to me, and if you'd met 4F, you'd know why.Guiding...Do you think Hermione has the right skills and attributes to become a good Guide?I can easily imagine Hermione in the Guides, given that she's resourceful, highly motivated and eager to learn. She might be a little over-competitive when it came to interest badges, though. EDITORS' NOTE: OH YES. THERE WAS ALWAYS A TROLLOPE IN EVERY TROOP WHO HAD 10,000 BADGES WRAPPING ALL THE WAY AROUND HER SASH. (YES...I'M STILL BITTER, AFTER ALL THESE YEARS. BUT BITTER WORKS FOR ME).Which was the interest badge you were most proud of getting?First Aid. I've never needed to make a sling since, but I'm on constant standby.Being a woman…What is the greatest gift your mother gave you?She was the one who read to us when we were little, filled the house with books, loved discussing her favourite novels and never sat down without something to read, so I would have to say a love of literature. However, she also taught me how to make a decent Yorkshire pudding. What is it about Jane Austen's writing that you admire? If you could have met her - what would you ask her?Virginia Woolf said that of all great writers, Austen was 'the most difficult to catch in the act of greatness.' Praise of her writing rarely conveys its extraordinary quality, but I think her characters are vividly alive, she had a wonderful facility for dialogue, a dry and sometimes scathing sense of humour and she crafted seamless plots with such lightness of touch it appears effortless. And speaking as someone who loves to pull the wool over her readers' eyes, nobody has ever bettered the twist Austen managed in 'Emma' (I won't give it away in case you haven't read it).If I met her I would have to ask her how she managed to concentrate while sharing a room with her sister and mother, though I might have to point out that a toddler and Teletubbies is worse!What's important to her...What is the funniest or most ridiculous thing you have read about yourself in the press?That I had a diva-style tantrum because the wallpaper in my hall wasn't exclusive enough. I haven't got wallpaper in my hall, it's painted. And I don't think I could muster an eye-roll over wallpaper, let alone a tantrum. If you wrote your autobiography - what would you like its title be?'Tell them I'm Dead, I'm Trying to Write'. Self-explanatory, I think. If you won a million pounds to give to a charity - which one would it be and why?Probably Medicins sans Frontieres (Doctors without Borders), a charity that sends medical personnel into areas of extreme poverty and disease, or where natural disasters have occurred. I first heard of them when I was working for Amnesty International; they were always some of the first people on the ground whenever trouble occurred. Reaching new heights after Harry Potter Best known as Hogwarts' headboy Percy Weasley, Chris Rankin has just made his major theatrical debut in a national tour of Wuthering Heights. The up-and-coming actor spoke to Caroline Harrap about life on the set of the Harry Potter movies, and why he still has to pinch himself to believe it's all real...

When Chris Rankin decided to watch an episode of Neighbours instead of doing his GCSE revision, little did he guess what a huge impact it would have on his life.

But, just by chance, he happened to catch the end of Newsround, and in the final item on the programme, they mentioned that the makers of the new Harry Potter films were holding open auditions for the cast.

With nothing to lose, the aspiring young actor, who was at secondary school in Norwich at the time, decided to apply and, lo and behold, two auditions later, he was chosen to play pompous prefect Percy Weasley.

"I just couldn't believe it," says the 22-year-old. "In fact, I still can't believe it now... EDITOR'S NOTE: ALTHOUGH, AT THIS POINT, IF YOU WERE BRITISH, AND HAD ANY ASPIRPATIONS TO BE AN ACTOR, AND YOU WEREN'T IN AT LEAST ONE OF THE HP FILMS, I THINK YOU'D BE STARTING TO FEEL LEFT OUT. (IT MAY COME DOWN FROM BUCKINGHAM PLACE ANY DAY NOW THAT EVERY BRITISH CITIZEN IS REQUIRED TO BE IN A HARRY POTTER FILM. JUST TO ROTATE IT AROUND AND KEEP IT FRESH)."It's almost six years to the day since I found out I'd got the part, and I'm still trying to get my head around it!

"We start filming the next one in two weeks' time, and it's always the same; I look around at all those great British actors, like Michael Gambon (Dumbledore) and Julie Walters (Mrs Weasley), and think to myself, 'what on earth am I doing here - why did they pick me?'. "I didn't even go to drama school!

"To be honest, I spend most of the time thinking, 'I really shouldn't be here...'"

Getting the role of Percy, the bossy older brother of Harry's best friend Ron, has certainly been a dream come true for Rankin.

Incredibly, his only previous experience of acting had been treading the boards with his local youth theatre.

"I was always quite a shy sort of person, so I took up acting as a way of overcoming that," says Rankin, who lives with his mum, an English teacher, in Norwich.

"I found that when I was playing other people, I just felt more confident. "But I never imagined it would lead to this!"

As the self-important Percy, Rankin has certainly had his fair share of amusing scenes in the films.

Right from day one, he's been busy bossing everyone around, first as a prefect and eventually as headboy at Hogwarts.

Now it's all set to go a bit dark side in the fifth film, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which is due for release next year, as the power starts to go to his head.

"Over the course of the films, he's gone from being a stuck-up, poncey prefect to quite a nasty piece of work," says Rankin.

"My character didn't appear in the last film but, when he makes his return in the next one, he starts to become really obnoxious. "By that stage, of course, he's working for the Ministry of Magic and he's become so power-hungry that he'll step on anyone to get where he wants.

"And let's just say that the Minister for Magic, Mr Crouch, has his shoes well and truly kissed!"

Not surprisingly, Rankin has a whole host of hilarious anecdotes about life on the set of the movies...

Like the time when Daniel Radcliffe changed the language on Robbie Coltrane's mobile phone into Turkish - naturally, the well-known actor, who plays Hagrid in the films, was unable to turn it back because he couldn't understand the instructions.

Then there was the incident when identical twins James and Oliver Phelps, who play Fred and George Weasley, decided to secretly swap characters in one of their scenes, without anyone else ever being any the wiser. EDITOR'S NOTE: SO THEY REALLY ARE FRED AND GEORGE!

"It sounds like a clich?, but it really is just one big happy family," says Rankin.

"Everyone knows each others' names - from the producer to the main characters to the people who make the tea.

"I remember on the very first day of filming, when the car came to pick me up, there in the back was a nine-year-old Emma Watson looking excited and terrified in equal measure. "Since then, of course, I've got to know Emma, Daniel (Radcliffe) and Rupert (Grint) really well - when you're all stuck in a studio, just outside Watford, for several weeks in a row, you end up spending quite a lot of time together.

"I think they're all brilliant actors and they've coped with the whole fame thing amazingly well."As the big brother in the film, I can't help feeling really rather proud of them all."

In spite of all sorts of bribery, followed by various forms of blackmail, Rankin refuses, however, to give any clues as to how the books will end.

In fact, he says that the cast are as much in the dark as anyone about the future development of the plot.

"On the few times I've met J K Rowling, I've tried to coax it out of her, but she honestly wouldn't tell us anything," he groans.

"Obviously, for my part, I'm hoping that Percy's descent into evil will continue, and by the end, he'll be Voldemort's second in command, or something like that. EDITORS' NOTE: PERCY ISN'T EVIL. AND HE DIDN'T DESCEND SO MUCH AS OVER-REACH. HE'S FROM A POOR FAMILY AND IT'S MADE HIM ANXIOUS TO SUCCEED, TO PUT SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN HIMSELF AND POVERTY. HE JUST (HOPEFULLY TEMPORARILY) LOST THE FOREST FOR THE TREES AS FAR AS HOW HE GETS TO HIS GOALS."Like everyone else, though, we'll just have to wait and see!"

Not surprisingly, since appearing in the Harry Potter films, Rankin has been inundated with offers of work.

Last year, he played the role of Waring in BBC drama The Rotter's Club adapted from Jonathan Coe's best-selling novel, and, more recently, he filmed a pilot for a new satirical comedy sketch show, Days Like This, from the writers of Not the Nine O'Clock News.

He has also appeared on Hell's Kitchen, Smile, SMTV, Ministry of Mayhem, Blue Peter, CBBC Xchange and Newsround - to name but a few.

In the theatre, as well as a few low-key roles, including with his own production company, Painted Horse Theatre, which he formed in 2004, he's also starred in several pantos.

Now, in the latest string to his bow, he has just made his major theatrical debut in a national tour of Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

Featuring a host of well-known names, the show also stars Michelle Hardwick (Lizzie Kennoway in The Royal), Tony Scannell (DS Roach in The Bill), Robert Beck (Gavin Ferris in Emmerdale) and Barny Clevley (Will Davies in Hollyoaks).

"Funnily enough, I found out about Wuthering Heights on the same night I discovered they wanted me for the next two Harry Potter films," says Rankin.

"Needless to say, a fair few drinks were had in the pub that evening!"

So far, he says he's loving every moment of appearing in this classic work of English literature - even if he doesn't get to play the legendary hero of the story.

His character, Edgar Linton, is the one that Cathy marries, only to be shunned in favour of Heathcliff.

"Poor Edgar, who is this weak, rather sickly sort of fellow, falls madly in love with Cathy," says Rankin, who is single at the moment.

"She, on the other hand, is this wild, wonderful creature who runs around the moors at night."My character eventually dies of a broken heart when he realises that she couldn't actually care less about him and is really in love with Heathcliff.

"Ultimately, it really is an amazing love story - unfortunately, just not for my character!"

The tour continues through to August, after which, Rankin will be returning to the Harry Potter set full time to complete the rest of his scenes.

So what does the future hold for him when it's all finally over?

"There are all sorts of things I'd like to do," says Rankin.

"I'd love to do some more theatre and television, and one day, I'd really like to try my hand at directing. "To be honest, though, I just feel so lucky to have had this opportunity, and as long as I'm employed then I'll be happy."EDITOR'S NOTE: YEAH. THE ACTOR'S MOTTO.

Interview with Jason Isaacs

EDITOR'S NOTE: HELLO GORGEOUS!

At the 2006 Empire Awards, the magazine caught up with the actor who plays Lucius Malfoy and he spoke a little about the Harry Potter movies as well as his beloved blond wig.

And how’s Harry Potter going?I don’t know, they started without me. Like most things in my life. I haven’t even read the script yet. To be honest, I don’t know what happens in it. I know that I’m meant to end up in prison – that’s no great secret. Will Malfoy be coming back for film 5?Oh I don’t know, you’ll have to ask David (Heyman, Potter producer), I hope so, I can’t bear the idea that somebody else would get to wear my Paris Hilton wig, but you never know. You have a strange relationship with your wig then?I do, well the wig is on time-share with Paris Hilton and she comes round. EDITOR'S NOTE: YOU HAVE NOW SAID THE WORDS 'PARIS HILTON' TWICE. YOU ARE A VERY HANDSOME MAN, BUT WE HAVE RULES. YOU ARE ON PROBATION, BUB. It takes a lot longer to prise it off me at the end of the day because I fancy myself as the lead singer of Sweet. Nah, it’s not very long, they’re all terribly slick with it. I miss it. I like the wig. I’m not a man who gets to disguise, I look pretty much the same in everything I do except for Harry Potter and I get to wear a fabulous wig. So is Good finally happening?Yes, Good is back on. Last year we had the actor, a fantastic actor, but we didn’t quite have all the money. We had almost every piece but literally the bit that funded the mobile phones until the giant cheque arrived, but then it all collapsed because Hugh (Jackman) had to go off and do X-Men 3 and I had a shoot as well. This week we’ve got all the money. We haven’t as yet got the actor but there are a number of people who want to do it. What is it about the project that’s kept your interest?Oh it’s a phenomenal script. It was an amazing play, it’s a great, great script and it’s new and different and we now have a new and fabulous director. Ostensibly it’s about Germany in the 30s but it’s not really, it’s about what am I doing when civil rights around me are being suspended? Because they are. What do Americans do when they ignore the patriot act, how much of a fuss am I making about people being locked up in Belmarsh? About people kind of falling under the welfare radar? So it’s incredibly contemporary – I don’t know about you but I spend my life making moral compromises that I blind myself to, that I’d rather not think about, that I’m terrified my children will ask you about. “Why do we have a big car?” “Why do we have all the lights on?” So it’s a chance to focus on all those issues?It’s very easy to make films about that period that are about victims and they make me feel safe. It’s very easy to make films generally in which you think “Well I’m not a bad guy, I’d be the good guy” but this is a film about how good people got swept up and ended up being at the heart of that repulsive regime and you look in the mirror and hopefully it will be provocative and end up in you policing yourself. We should all be policing ourselves each day, I’d hate to see what I’d find.

UNCLE GEORGE LOVES US, AND WANTS US TO HAVE FUN:LucasArts & Indiana Jones Whip Interactive Entertainment ForwardThis just in from LucasArts:

"SAN FRANCISCO, CA – April 27, 2006 – LucasArts announced today that Indiana Jones’ first expedition on Xbox 360™ video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®3 will feature the revolutionary euphoria behavioral-simulation engine from NaturalMotion Ltd., creators of the award-winning Dynamic Motion Synthesis (DMS) technology.

For the first time ever, euphoria enables interactive characters – from Indiana Jones himself to the foes he pulverizes – to move, act and even think like actual human beings without the limitations of traditional animation. Characters move and adapt realistically to their given situations on the fly, resulting in a series of experiences and payoffs that will never be the sametwice.

As one of only two publishers with early access to the technology, LucasArts is well advanced in integrating euphoria into Indiana Jones’ 2007 next-generation adventure.

Imagine a swaying rope bridge. With euphoria in action, characters visibly attempt to balance themselves, their feet stumbling, their arms flailing, and their hands reaching for security as the unpredictable movements of the bridge threaten to send them plummeting to their doom. Perhaps they all survive. Perhaps they all fall. The use of euphoria means the action isn’t scripted – it’s simulated – so you’ll never be able to predict exactly what will happen, no matter how many times you’ve experienced a certain scenario.

“With euphoria, A.I. drives character behaviors so that there’s a different payoff every time. The depth of this character interaction gives us true next-gen gameplay that you simply couldn’t do with earlier generations of hardware,” said Peter Hirschmann, vice president of product development at LucasArts. “We’ve been working with NaturalMotion since 2004 to help bring their groundbreaking technology to games, and there’s no better character to demonstrate it than Indiana Jones.”“We have big plans for euphoria, and we are absolutely thrilled to be able to show it off in the first next-generation release from LucasArts,” said Torsten Reil, CEO of NaturalMotion. “LucasArts is an excellent partner with a real passion to raise the bar for next-gen games, and we look forward to working with them to apply euphoria technology to its games for years to come.”

LucasArts will demonstrate euphoria in action when it debuts its next-generation Indiana Jones game on May 10-12 at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, CA." EDITOR'S NOTE: IS EVERYBODY ELSE HUMMING THE INDY THEME SONG RIGHT NOW? (OR IS THAT JUST ME.....???)

A MUST-HAVE FROM THE STAR WARS SHOP:

New Gentle Giant Release Now at StarWarsShopJust in from Gentle Giant at StarWarsShop:

Mos Eisley Cantina Bookends

-- Finally, a new set of bookends for fans who like to show off their collection of literary Star Wars works.

Believe it or not, there hasn't been an officially licensed set of Star Wars bookends since the early 1980s -- and those early, somewhat unrefined pieces (produced by Sigma Ceramics) of 20-odd years ago can't even begin to approach the exquisite detail of Gentle Giant's new cantina set, which pits the roguish Han Solo against the unsavory bounty hunter Greedo. Fans can decide who shoots first in this scenario. EDITOR'S NOTE: TOO DARN COOL! (NO ROOM ON MY STAR WARS BOOKSHELVES FOR BOOKENDS, THOUGH. SO VERY MANY BOOKS!)MORE POSTING AS THE (UGH) DAY-JOB PERMITS, DWEEBPALS. PATIENCE, YOUNG PADAWANS (AND GREAT REST OF YOUR WEEKEND!)